拂晓时分的霞光，晕染了伊斯坦布尔的淡青色天空。幽远的钟声，穿过氤氲蔓延的残雾，令曲折而斑驳的街巷点燃一盏盏摇曳的灯火。在这座被称为“世界的中心”的传奇之城中，终日间歇回荡的钟声，宣告白昼的起始，昭示黑夜的降临，数百年来不曾更改。在漫长的岁月中，它曾伴随奔腾不息的马蹄，响彻于奥斯曼帝国横跨亚欧非大陆的辽阔疆土，也以苍凉悠长的余音，召唤着后世的旅人，以此地为起点，穿越厚重的历史门扉，迈入时空交错的瑰丽迷境。 仿若蔚蓝色丝带的博斯普鲁斯海峡，以如鼓点般湍急的浪涛，将古城伊斯坦布尔一分为二，也将欧洲与亚洲在此地分界开来。成群结伴的洁白海鸥，跟随奈伊笛空灵缱绻的乐音，向西飞越碧波荡漾的爱琴海，前往传说中橄榄树丛生的温暖岛屿，在盛开鲜红色花朵的卫城遗迹上空盘旋。沉迷于古代典籍的诗人，弹唱着轻快的乌德琴，向东翻越小亚细亚的崇山峻岭，漫步于德黑兰宏伟宫殿墙壁上精美绝伦的马赛克镶嵌画之间， 追忆波斯文明的辉煌过往。无畏的冒险家，则踏着非洲铃鼓的热烈明亮的韵律，迈入那片黄沙滚滚的撒哈拉沙漠，追随缓缓而行的驼队，在连绵起伏的沙丘间倾听远古的回声。 迷离跌宕的古老音韵，萦绕在掠过辽阔异域的苍凉风中，带人纵横于土耳其、伊朗、希腊、阿尔及利亚等不同国度之间，展开一场探索未知奇境的音乐之旅，感怀沧桑大地所记录的辉煌过往，赞叹东西方交汇点孕育的灿烂文化。《宝贝》、《倾听我心》、《远走他乡》……瑞鸣音乐本次录音臻选的11首动人乐歌，或源自于经久流传的质朴民谣，或源自于当地脍炙人口的抒情歌曲。它们共同组成了一幅幅色彩斑斓，充满异国情调的风情画卷，向聆听者呈上来自地球另一端充满神秘魅力的“世界的声音”。 拥有四千年历史的奈伊笛、被誉为“中东乐器之王”的乌德琴、被视为扬琴前身的卡隆琴，以及一系列形态各异的古老打击乐器，在美国洛杉矶的一间拥有四十年历史，曾经为迈克尔·杰克逊、芭芭拉·史翠珊等国际巨星制作过经典作品的世界顶级录音棚中汇聚一堂。那些跨越悠远时空而来的动人曲调，经由数位资深民族音乐人的惊艳演绎和浓情演唱，以及瑞鸣音乐制作人叶云川及格莱美奖金牌录音师Adam Kagan的精湛录制，在使人领略到壮美的人文景观与自然风光的同时，也在苍茫土地的传奇历史中感受到人世间共通的深厚情感。 在渐沉的暮色中，跟随惆怅拨动的弦音，和萦绕不息的笛声，追寻一千零一夜的异域幻想。朦胧的黑夜即将开始，月色和星光笼罩着丘陵之上古老宫殿的尖塔。来自伊斯坦布尔的悠长钟声，最后一次回荡在人们的耳畔，然后缓缓隐没在博斯普鲁斯海峡的浪涛中。旅人回首望向那钟声消失的方向，然后再度沉醉于千年来迷离的梦境，延续着今夜的浪漫跌宕的旅程。 The glow of dawn stains the pale blue sky of Istanbul. The distant sound of the bells, through the dense fog, lights up the twisting streets with one swaying lamp after another. In this legendary city known as the ‘centre of the world’, the bells have rung throughout the day for centuries, announcing the beginning of day and the end of night. The bells have been heard over the centuries, accompanying galloping horses, across the vast expanses of the Ottoman Empire spanning Asia, Europe and Africa. Its lingering sound beckons future generations of travellers to embark on their journey here, through the gates of history and into the magnificent maze of time and space. The Bosphorus, like a silky blue ribbon, with its drum-like waves divides the ancient city of Istanbul in two and separates Europe from Asia. Flocks of white seagulls following the ethereal rhythms of the ney flute fly west over the turquoise Aegean Sea to the warm island of olive groves, hovering over ruins of the Acropolis. The poet, enthralled by ancient classics, sings to a cheerful oud and travels east over the mountains of Asia Minor and wanders among the exquisite mosaic walls of Tehran's magnificent palaces to recall the glory of Persian civilisation. The intrepid adventurer, ventures out into the yellow sands of the Sahara to the rhythms of African tambourines, following the slow moving camel caravan and listening to the echoes of the past among rolling sand dunes. The mesmerising, ancient rhythm lingers in the wind that has swept across vast and exotic lands, taking you on a musical journey through the mysterious lands of Turkey, Iran, Greece, Algeria and other countries, to remember the glorious past told by the land and to celebrate the fascinating culture nurtured at the crossroads of East and West. My Baby, I Want You To Feel Me, Hey, Immigrant… The 11 songs chosen by Rhymoi Music for this recording are a selection of humble folk songs that have been around for a long time and lyrical songs that have been popular in the region. Together, they make a colourful and exotic picture, bringing to the listener the mysterious "sounds of the world" from the other side of the globe. The 4000-year old ney, the oud, known as the "king of Middle Eastern instruments", the carillon, which is considered to be the predecessor of the dulcimer, and a range of ancient percussion instruments of varying shapes and sizes come together in one of the world's leading recording studios in Los Angeles, USA. The studio has been producing classics for international stars such as Michael Jackson and Barbra Streisand for over 40 years. The heartfelt tunes from across time and space, are performed and sung by renowned folk musicians, recorded by Rhymoi Music's producer Yunchuan Ye and Grammy Award-winning recording engineer Adam Kagan, to deliver a breathtaking experience of the cultural and natural landscapes, whilst at the same time allowing us to feel the deep emotions we share in the legendary history of our land. In the darkening twilight, guided by the melancholy plucking of strings and the lingering sound of the flute, we embark on a journey to search for the exotic fantasies of The Thousand and One Nights. As the hazy night begins to fall, the minarets of ancient palaces above the hills become shrouded in moonlight and starlight. The lingering bells from Istanbul echo in our ears for the last time before slowly fading into the waves of Bosphorus. The traveller looks back in the direction where the sound of the bells have faded, and then once again become lost in a thousand-year-old, misty dream, continuing this romantic and rhythmical journey.